Side story 1: Sally

DECEMBER 17TH 1975

The boy hadn’t expected this until New Year’s Eve.

Mother had said she was going to give him another sibling. He already had two, he didn’t understand why he needed another one. He didn’t even know if his Mother’s baby was going to be a sister or a brother.

He sat on his butt with his knees pressed to his chest outside the room. Mother had gone in there so long ago, he didn’t know when but Father had woken him up and told him his Mother was having a baby.

His sister sat next to him, her little shoulder pressing into his arm. She was running her little hand over her doll’s hair, she hadn’t brought a comb and no matter how much she tried to make the hair stay, it kept popping back up. She was excited for the baby. She had said she wanted a sister to replace her dolls.

On her lap sat his brother. He had his head tipped back and was staring up at the ceiling with slow blinking eyes. The boy remembered that when his brother had been told that their Mother was pregnant, he hadn’t said anything. He didn’t look happy or sad. Had the same unchanging look since all those months ago when they were first told. His Mother told him babies aren’t expressive. He doesn’t know what that word means.

Every once and while they would hear a shout behind the heavy door their Father had gone into a long time away. Every time they heard this sound, the boy’s brother would jump and seemed ready to barge in there. It was the boy’s job to keep his younger siblings outside of the room. Father had gave this job, he had said it was very important and the boy’s chest swelled up with pride.

Father would be so happy when he saw that he had done his job.

More time passed. After another yell from behind the room, his sister’s stomach started to grumble. She laid her hand on her stomach and looked up at her big brother, telling him she was hungry. His other brother chimed in to say he was hungry too, in his unintelligible way.

But… Father had said not to move. He had told him to keep his sister and brother right there until he came out from the room again. He pressed his knees closer to his chest and said that Father would be out soon, and that after they saw the baby they would have a big lunch to celebrate this and the birthday. He thought his sister would like that.

He tried to ignore his siblings complaining in his ear. Father had said so. This was important. He was his right-hand man, the first mate of the captain of the ship and he needed to be a big boy.

Soon enough his siblings voices’ died down and they were once again in silence, only ever interrupted by their yells behind the door that only years later would the boy understand were his Mother’s. He didn’t know how long had passed but when his brother leaned back against his sister’s chest and his sister leaned her head against the boy’s shoulder he knew it had been a very long time.

The boy patted his sister’s head and now the screams met the snoring of his siblings. Soon his own eyes began to slowly close and as he was willing to give himself up to sleep the door opened. He quickly stood and his siblings fell over.

It was Father. He looked down at his son and placed a heavy hand on his shoulder. He said that the baby was here. Father told the boy to get his siblings up, awake and ready to meet the new baby. The boy dutifully helped his sleepy siblings stand up. He adjusted their clothes and wiped their drowsy eyes.

He grabbed his sister’s hand, and she grabbed their brother’s hand. All three together, they went into the room. Mother was laying on a white covered bed. The boy was amazed at how pretty she liked. Different than she had when his brother was born. She looked like she hadn’t had a hard time. But her eyes were wet.

The doctor was talking quietly to the boy’s Father. His Father had a serious look to his face and didn’t speak, after the doctor’s mouth didn’t move anymore, his Father nodded. Father asked the boy and his siblings to come closer. Father sat down on a seat and the children surrounded him and the small blanket he had in his arms.

At first the boy couldn’t see anything. It was only white blankets. But the blanket began to move. He peered closer and could see a tiny little head laying in the blanket. His sister moved the blanket and they all looked down at the baby.

The boy was surprised at how small it was. More small than his brother and sister. It did look like a doll. It kept opening and closing its’ mouth, the boy thought it was trying to talk. With his forefinger, the boy lightly touched the baby’s cheek. The baby didn’t make a noise. The boy had not heard it cry at all.

His sister asked if it was a girl. His brother poked the baby’s palm.

He didn’t understand babies. He didn’t understand how a baby can grow and look like his siblings. But he did understand what pretty was and he thought the baby was pretty.

His Father called his name. The boy looked up at the hard look in his Father’s eyes. Father said that he had to take care of his new sibling, more than his other siblings because the baby was so little.

Salvatore Crown promised he would take care of his sibling for the rest of his life.